Tag Archives: mines

Why do gold mines end up abandoned, especially when there still gold in the area? There are many gold mines that have been abandoned over the years. There are a variety of reasons gold mines were abandoned. Sometimes, it had to do with productions. Other major factors were the effects of World War I and World War II.

Many ghost towns were once active mining towns. There are many of these towns in Arizona, where gold mining has been active since the early 19th century. One example is the Crown King mine in the Bradshaw Mountains. This mine area closed due to financial problems. The mines simply weren’t very productive and gold miners left the area for more prosperous regions.

Castle Dome City in Arizona was once an active mining town. Mining efforts resulted in significant challenges in the mine’s early days due to conflict with Native Americans in the area. Like many mining towns during the World War I and World War II, mining efforts declined. Equipment was confiscated from many small mining operations so that it could be used for iron and led recovery efforts. The mining companies weren’t able to maintain operations without equipment. After the war, new or replacement mining equipment wasn’t available which permanently shut down many mines.

Other, larger mines switched to lead mining to support war efforts. After the wars ended, the area went into decline because of the decreased demand for lead. People left the area and the town was abandoned. Many other Arizona gold mines faced a similar fate.

The Goldfield Ghost Town is another example of an abandoned site. During the 1890s, the town had saloons, boarding houses, a brewery and many other businesses. However, the town when into decline, the gold vein faulted. The price of ore dropped and the town went rapidly into decline.

Vulture City was another active mine during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. At one time, Vulture was an extremely active and productive site at one time. The mine was shut down by a regulatory agency in the 1940s so that activity could be focused on the war effort. The shutdown order was disputed and the mine eventually reopened. However, there was not much enthusiasm for mining and Vulture City shut down for good.